Computing systems have made significant contributions toward the advancement of modern society and are utilized in a number of applications to achieve advantageous results. Numerous devices, such as desktop personal computers (PCs), laptop PCs, tablet PCs, netbooks, smart phones, servers, and the like have facilitated increased productivity and reduced costs in communicating and analyzing data in most areas of entertainment, education, business, and science. One common aspect of computing devices and other electronics are switching devices that can turn on and off fast, pass large currents with relatively low on resistance, and/or have large breakdown voltages. Switching device that can turn on and off fast, pass large currents with relatively low on resistance, and/or have large breakdown voltages are commonly used in voltage converter, high-frequency transmitters and receivers, or the like in numerous electronic devices.
An exemplary switching device that can turn on and off fast, pass large currents with relatively low on resistance, and/or have large breakdown voltages is the High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT), also known as a Heterostructure Field Effect Transistor (HFET) or Modulation Doped Field Effect Transistor (MODFET). Enhancement HEMTs turn on and conduct between their drain and source terminals in response to a positive voltage between their gate and source terminals. The enhancement HEMTs typically turn off in response to a small negative voltage between their gate and source terminals. The HEMT can also be readily damaged by high voltages as the result of over-voltage events, Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) events and the like. Accordingly, there is a need for protection circuits for use with the HEMTs and other similar devices that do not affect the switching operation of the devices.